Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA?

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Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#1 » by SouthernFried » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:06 pm

Duncan has never played for a lottery team in all of his 19 years, all while being a key piece of his team for 15 of those 19 years. To put that in perspective, even Jordan had his lean years with the Wizards and LeBron had his first two seasons of missing post-season action.

Could this conceivably happen again with any specific player?...or are teams too hungry to re-build that they won't choose the Spurs model?
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#2 » by MaxRider » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:11 pm

I didn't think it is possible to break 72 win record. I didn't think it is possible to comeback and win the champ down 1-3. So there is still chance, just harder. Aren't Ginobili and Parker close to that? Leonard (too early to tell).
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#3 » by ChiCityHoops34 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:13 pm

SouthernFried wrote:Duncan has never played for a lottery team in all of his 19 years, all while being a key piece of his team for 15 of those 19 years. To put that in perspective, even Jordan had his lean years with the Wizards and LeBron had his first two seasons of missing post-season action.

Could this conceivably happen again with any specific player?...or are teams too hungry to re-build that they won't choose the Spurs model?


There will never be another Tim Duncan.

50 wins every year except the lockout shortened season all with the same team.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#4 » by dc » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:14 pm

SouthernFried wrote:Could this conceivably happen again with any specific player?...or are teams too hungry to re-build that they won't choose the Spurs model?


I seriously doubt that anyone "chooses" not to follow the Spurs model. There has only been one franchise like the Spurs in the time Duncan has been around. Many have tried copying and pretty much all have failed. Closest imitation to them was a 60 win Hawks team but that team wasn't sustainable.

If the Spurs "model" was so easy to follow, there would be several teams by now that would've emulated their level of success for an extended period, but nobody has done that. It's not as if anyone is saying, "No, we don't want 19 straight years of playoffs, a .700 winning percentage and 5 chamionships."

It's probably more to do with the fact that it's hard to get an all-time great player like Duncan to go along with an all-time great coach like Pop.

I doubt anyone in the league is saying "I don't want Tim Duncan or Pop because I don't want to spoil my shot at getting Ben Simmons."
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#5 » by Homer38 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:16 pm

I do not think it's possible.The worst regular season of the Spurs with Duncan was in 2010 with a 50-32 record!

This is very impressive and it was in 19 years!
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#6 » by dm17415 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:20 pm

With all due respect to Duncan as he is Top 5/10 player, he was drafted into a team that went 59-23 the season before and the only reason Spurs got the #1 pick was because David Robinson was injured. This has a lot to do with him never having a losing season(s) early in his career.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#7 » by Nolan » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:21 pm

Anything is possible.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#8 » by Spintown » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:24 pm

I wish I can find and dig up all the posts of the people who thought Durant was going be like Duncan and stay in a small market for his whole career. They were all wrong. Just goes to show you don't judge a book by his cover just because he acts humble and quiet doesn't mean he's the next Duncan.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#9 » by Statlanta » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:31 pm

SouthernFried wrote:Duncan has never played for a lottery team in all of his 19 years, all while being a key piece of his team for 15 of those 19 years. To put that in perspective, even Jordan had his lean years with the Wizards and LeBron had his first two seasons of missing post-season action.

Could this conceivably happen again with any specific player?...or are teams too hungry to re-build that they won't choose the Spurs model?


Personally I think it could be broken in the future as I think almost any record in the NBA could be broken. Within like 20 years I say no because Duncan was in the situation to consistently stop teams from either making it to the Finals or winning the Finals. To say that a Coach can stay with a team while a GM can constantly retool successfully like that around a star and for that said star to stick around while being impactful on both ends of the floor for a long time is very rare to happen especially in a small market. Such success also needs luck such as injuries avoidance and hoping that the conference doesn't get a talent infusion. But like a rock the team won 50 games even when that was needed just to get into the playoffs in the tough Western Conference. I really think it's crazy that his teams took rings from Ewing, Nash, Dirk, Kobe, all the way up to early Durant and the peak of LeBron.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#10 » by CarMalone » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:35 pm

Duncan is an unusual case as he had the benefit of joining a team that had won 59 games just two seasons prior and would have won 50+ games had David Robinson not missed 76 games the season prior. Duncan essentially avoided the early seasons of growing pains that other top picks had to endure. This is like LeBron being drafted by the Pistons or Lakers in 2003.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#11 » by Johnny Firpo » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:36 pm

Of course, it's possible. Dirk made it 15 times out of hist last 16 seasons. It's a good feat, but its definitely possible.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#12 » by Warriorfan » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:36 pm

To match Duncan a lottery level player would have to join a playoff caliber team with a young core. BOS has bkn picks so it could happen there but 19 yrs is a real long time. Spurs rebuilt themselves on the fly twice during Duncans tenure
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#13 » by VeKKtorious » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:39 pm

How many players are as selfless, modest, talented, and patient as Timmy? The minute you find someone who is a generational talent that is willing to:

- Take a step back for the development younger players
- Let a GOAT coach manage his minutes (without complaining)
- Take a pay cut for another talent at the same position
- Avoid the spotlight and drama for their entire career
- Remain somewhat healthy and durable

is when you can get to 19 years of sustained success. This, plus having a HOF in the tail end of his prime and great FO is super rare.Realistically, players now are brands that need the business opportunities and immediacy that moving teams as a free agent can deliver. No one in their right mind would be patient enough to stick around when they can just go to a marketable and winning team like Warriors at a slight pay cut and high chance at a ring.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#14 » by improper » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:49 pm

No because it takes a tremendous amount of luck to get a talent like Tim Duncan when you have a really good team but suck for one year due to injuries. Most teams don't get lucky enough to be in position to draft a generational talent at all, let alone because they had one bad year because their current star was hurt.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#15 » by Saints14 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:54 pm

CarMalone wrote:Duncan is an unusual case as he had the benefit of joining a team that had won 59 games just two seasons prior and would have won 50+ games had David Robinson not missed 76 games the season prior. Duncan essentially avoided the early seasons of growing pains that other top picks had to endure. This is like LeBron being drafted by the Pistons or Lakers in 2003.


Yeah, Duncan to the Spurs was an extremely rare case where an elite prospect joined an already great team. It'd take some serious tanking combined with lottery luck, a draft pick swap with a bad team (Boston/Nets in the next few years maybe), or a prospect being that good that somehow fell out of the lottery. As some mentioned, it'd be like if the Pistons landed the #1 pick in 2003 and got LeBron.

But yeah, the consistency year after year is just incredible. Obviously that's more than just Duncan, but he's been the heart and soul of the team for the majority of those years.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#16 » by ken6199 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:57 pm

In short - Stay healthy, play for a great organization, it comes down to these two. Rest will play out by itself.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#17 » by whocurrz » Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:46 pm

wouldnt surprise me if Kawhi Leonard has a similar record. Maybe not 4 more championships but with the way the Spurs run they could make playoffs every year of his career if Pop and RC stick around
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#18 » by JonFromVA » Tue Jul 12, 2016 7:08 pm

Hah... the Cavs would have a chance to pull it off if LeBron lost a season and they won the lottery - at least until someone else on the team learned how to run a team.

But the odds of winning the lottery are at best ~ 1 in 4, and the odds of finding a franchise player with the first pick aren't much better.

So, it's not easy.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#19 » by LakersLegacy » Tue Jul 12, 2016 8:24 pm

Duncan is great so please don't think I'm attacking him in anyway.

The circumstances that brought Duncan to the Spurs are unprecedented in the NBA. A contender has its best 2 players injured (MVP, 71 point game, DPOY the Admiral and All star Elliot) and they get the number 1 pick. Then before they retire the team drafts future all stars Tony Parker and Manu with late picks. Then they trade for Finals MVP and #2 in MVP voting Kawhi Leonard and land Aldridge in free agency.

And on top of all the great players, great role players (Bowen, Avery, Diaw.... There are too many to list). They have one of the best coaches of all time in Pop who stays for his entire career.

Sure it's possible another player could do it, but it's unlikely another team can duplicate the last 19 years of success that the Spurs had. It's almost impossible.
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Re: Is a Duncan-like success still possible in Today's NBA? 

Post#20 » by VUK1 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 9:30 pm

Can someone remind me of how the Pistons got to pick at 2? I think had they gone with Melo, Bosh or Wade etc they could have been in a similar scenario.


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